The Vikings finally have their replacement for former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Minnesota is hiring Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley as its new GM, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday. The Vikings announced the news on Monday.
"I am truly honored to join the Minnesota Vikings organization and grateful to the Wilf family for the opportunity to lead football operations for such a respected franchise," Teasley said in a statement. "The Vikings have everything needed to compete at the highest level -- a strong culture, great ownership, world-class facilities and an exceptional fan base. I look forward to working alongside (coach) Kevin O'Connell, (executive vice president of football operations) Rob Brzezinski, our coaching staff, personnel department and the entire organization as we build a team Vikings fans can be proud of and one that competes for championships year after year."
According to Pelissero, Teasley, who worked for Seattle the past 13 seasons, wrote letters to all 32 NFL teams in 2013 in hopes of securing a job in football. He had spent the previous six years in marketing after graduating from Central Washington, where he played football through his junior year. The Seahawks granted him an interview and hired him as an intern in the scouting department.
Teasley went on to serve as a pro personnel scout from 2014-16, assistant director of pro personnel in 2017, director of pro personnel from 2018-2022 and for the past four years was an assistant GM under John Schneider.
"Nolan brings tremendous football acumen and a proven track record of success from the past 13 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks," Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said. "Under the tutelage of general manager John Schneider, he was a part of nine playoff teams, three Super Bowl appearances and two championships. He has a strong understanding of talent evaluation at the collegiate and professional levels, significant experience with building a consistently competitive roster through the draft, free agency and trades, and he brings a disciplined, process-driven approach to the job. Putting Nolan together with Kevin O'Connell and Rob Brzezinski gives us three strong leaders with complementary skill sets."
Teasley's hiring as general manager comes considerably later in the NFL calendar than usual.
The Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah, their GM from 2022-25, on Jan. 30. They then tabbed Brzezinski to lead the team's operations through the 2026 draft, after which Minnesota would begin its search for a new full-time GM.
Brzezinksi delivered a nine-member draft class, which had a strong defensive tilt and was highlighted by defensive tackle Caleb Banks (Round 1, No. 18 overall), linebacker Jake Golday (Round 2, No. 51) and DT Domonique Orange (Round 3, No. 82). He also cut costs, trading pass rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles, reducing running back Aaron Jones' base salary through a revised contract and releasing defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Most notably, he addressed Minnesota's quarterback conundrum by signing Kyler Murray to the veteran minimum to introduce competition for J.J. McCarthy.
Brzezinski was one of five candidates to receive second interviews, along with Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Rams assistant GM John McKay and the now-hired Teasley.
"This organization means so much to me and my family, and I take tremendous pride in being a part of the Minnesota Vikings," Brzezinski said. "I have a great deal of respect for Nolan and look forward to partnering with him, Kevin and our entire football operation to build the best team possible. I will continue to do everything I can to help this organization achieve its ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Minnesota."
Teasley should usher Minnesota's front office in a new direction, as his scouting background stands in stark contrast to Adofo-Mensah's analytics-minded approach.
He also accepts the job on a high, having just helped the Seahawks to a victory in Super Bowl LX.
Though the Vikings endured their share of disarray last season, struggling to find consistency under center, missing the playoffs in the shadow of a 2024 14-win campaign and then parting with their GM, they still don't appear far off from contention after closing the season on a five-game winning streak to finish 9-8.
Despite an uncertain QB situation with Murray and McCarthy vying for the starting job, Teasley has one of the league's best wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and a top-10 scoring defense two seasons running to build around.
The Vikings trust he's the man to get the arrow trending back upward and keep it that way.
